


Watered Wine

by gaeriel



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: Buffy and Scott are cousins, Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-10
Updated: 2016-06-10
Packaged: 2018-07-14 04:29:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7153550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaeriel/pseuds/gaeriel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>America is at war, leading to unlikely allies.</p><p>Posted to AO3 for archival purposes. Originally posted at FF.net and Twisting the Hellmouth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. April 2005

**Author's Note:**

> "To succeed you must add water to your wine, until there is no more wine." --Jules Renard, _Journal_
> 
> I had originally written this in 2003, so this was supposed to be a near-future fic. Please take note of the time period each chapter takes place in. They do not take place one after the other, but rather as glimpses at certain points of the plot.

The landscape passed in a blur. Buffy Summers stood up in her seat and stuck her head out the window, squinting against the sunlight. Dust clogged the air oppressively and obscured her vision.

"Anything?" her companion asked her.

She sat back down in the vehicle and rolled the window up again. She shook her head. "Not a thing," she answered. "I can't see ten feet in front of me with this blasted dust in the way." She tucked a few loose strands of hair back under her bandana and turned towards the person driving the vehicle. "How much longer?"

"The man said it's a good two hour drive to the base. We've been on the road for at least an hour." Xander Harris looked over at his friend and grinned. "What's the matter, Buff? Antsy?"

"I don't like doing nothing. I should be out in the front lines, directing my troops. Not traveling to this base in the middle of nowhere."

"Yeah, well," Xander shrugged. "What do you do when the higher ups tell you to do something?"

"You know I don't handle authority well." Buffy stared out the windshield. "None of us did."

Her thoughts turned back to the past three years, when the United States government first acknowledged the mutant problem. They had declared war on mutants and it had taken over a year for the people in charge to realize that not all mutants were bad. But by that time, only a handful of mutants trusted the government. Most went into hiding or fled to other countries. That left the rest into two camps, the ones that sided with Magneto and fought against humanity. And then there were the X-men, headed by Charles Xavier, who worked with the humans to end the war.

Tensions ran high on both sides and Buffy and the rest friends had stayed out of it until Magneto made an alliance with the demon world. She still remembered that event. "Both of us are oppressed by humanity!" Magneto's voice had claimed from the radio. "It is time for us to join forces and forge a new world order."

The mutant had not counted on being double crossed by his new allies. The demons took over control of the resistance and Magneto had been lucky to escape with his life. He had fled to the only safe haven he knew from the demons, to the only person that the demons feared -- the Slayer.

* * *

_**March 2003** _

_Buffy was washing the dishes when the doorbell rang. It was followed by a rapid pounding and she scowled as she dried her hands. "Coming!" she called out._

_When she opened the door, a tall gray haired man dressed in red armor fell through the doorway and landed in a heap on the ground. He looked up, his eyes wide. "Are you the Slayer?" he whispered._

_"Depends who's asking."_

_He gripped her legs. "You must help me!" he implored her. "They're after me."_

_"Who's after you?"_

_"Torlin. The demon tricked me. Ousted me from my place of power. He's looking to destroy all of humanity, mutants and humans alike." The man struggled to stand. "Please, you have to help."_

_"Okay, okay." Buffy closed the door and helped him to the sofa in the living room. "But who are you?"_

_He looked at her with old and sad eyes. "I'm the mutant they call Magneto."_

* * *

Buffy was lost in her memories when Xander stopped the Hummer. "We're here," he announced jovially.

She tore herself out of the past and grabbed her duffel bag before sliding out of her seat and onto the ground. Dust swirled around her ankles. Figures approached them. "Buffy Summers?" the one in the lead asked.

She nodded and flipped open her military ID. "Who's in charge here?"

"Follow me and I'll take you to the general." Buffy and Xander followed the private into the military base. The soldier pointed out various aspects of the base to them as they walked. They finally stopped in front of a door. The soldier knocked and opened the door. He saluted. "Buffy Summers and Alexander Harris, sir."

"Thank you. That'll be all."

The soldier saluted again and left.

Buffy studied the man sitting behind the desk. "You the general?"

The uniform man stood up and walked around the desk to his two visitors. "General Thompkins, at your service." His eyes raked over the two and he frowned. "Forgive me, but I was expecting someone a little ... older."

"Yeah, well." Buffy shrugged. "Listen, I don't want to be here. You don't want me here. So why don't we just get down to business so I can head back to the front lines."

"Fair enough." He waved Buffy and Xander to sit down while he himself remained standing. "The president has asked me to have you look over our newest recruits and train them in the basics."

Xander jumped out of his seat. "You're kidding me! You dragged us away from where we're needed to train some _recruits_? You're crazy."

Buffy glared at the general. "I'm afraid I have to agree with him," she told Thompkins levelly. "I don't care what the presidents wants, but when I signed on for this, it was stated that I would be allowed to do what I please in order to get the job done. Demons are my area of expertise and I'll be of better use fighting. Anyone can train recruits in the basics."

Thompkins held up his hand. "Normally, I'd agree with you, but these recruits are mutants, with special powers. You would be the best person to figure out how each one will be put to the best use."

"You could have gone to the Watcher's Council in England and asked for help from them," Buffy pointed out.

"The United States and Great Britain are not on the best of terms at the moment," the general said.

Buffy and Xander gave each other a disgusted look. "Politics," Xander muttered.

Buffy sighed. "Fine, we'll train your mutant recruits. But as soon as possible, I'm heading back into the war zone."

* * *

Jubilation Lee, known to friends as Jubilee, exited the plane looking at her surroundings. "So this is a military base?" she asked. "Doesn't look too different from the hanger for the Blackbird back at the mansion."

A man dressed in a blue and yellow costume exited after the girl. "What did you expect?" he teased gently. Red tinted goggles covered his eyes.

She shrugged and tugged at the yellow gloves she wore. "So we're really going to meet the Slayer, Scott?" she asked, changing the subject.

He grinned. "Yeah. She's in charge of training you guys in how to fight the demons." The two of them walked down the ramp of the Blackbird. Others, Jubilee's age, followed them.

"What I don't understand is why can't the Professor teach us how to fight demons? Or you guys? You've been fighting since the beginning of the war."

"And we'll fight to the end of it. And I _will_ be helping, Jubilee. That's why I'm here. But the X-men can't spare too much time to train you guys. And you'll be better off with the Slayer anyway. Right from the horse's mouth."

A uniformed man met them at the bottom of the ramp. "Welcome. I'm General Thompkins. I run this base."

Scott held out his hand. "Cyclops," he said. He gestured to the teenagers behind him. "These are the newest graduates of the Academy."

The general nodded. "If you'll follow me, I'll show you the living quarters. We'll begin later today."

* * *

Buffy tried to hide her shock at seeing the age of the so-called recruits filing into the gym. "Good God, they're teenagers! Things can't be _that_ desperate, can they?"

Even Xander looked grim. "I can't believe them. They're sending kids to fight a war." He sighed.

As the newest recruits settled down, Buffy stepped forward. "Okay, for those of you who don't know, I'm the Slayer, but my real name is Buffy Summers. Call me Buffy. This is Xander Harris," she pointed at her friend, "my lovely assistant. Our job is to whip you into shape so that you can take on the enemy demons with each of your respective powers. Any questions before we begin?"

An Asian girl dressed in a yellow trench coat raised her hand. "Are you related to a Scott Summers?" she asked.

Buffy was surprised. "I have a cousin by that name. I haven't heard from him in years though. Why?"

The girl looked embarrassed. "Um, someone I know back home."

Buffy nodded and pushed the issue out of her mind. Later, she'd have a talk with the girl to see if it was really her cousin that she knew. "Any other questions?"

"You said 'enemy demons,'" one boy pointed out. "Does that mean that we have demons on our side too?"

Buffy smiled. "That's exactly right. Demons, just like humans, can be good, bad, and in-between. In fact, the person in charge of the Los Angeles zone is a vampire."

"But how can demons be good?"

Xander cleared his throat. "Listen, kiddies. Don't fall into the mindset that all demons are evil. It's just as wrong as assuming all mutants are dangerous." He looked each of the recruits in the eye. "Get my drift?"

Buffy let them contemplate that in silence for a few seconds before clapping her hands. "Okay. We're going to split you into two groups. Half of you will go to Xander, half with me. We're going to catalog your powers and then figure out the best way for you to use them."

* * *

Jubilee knocked on Scott's door. "Come in!" she heard him call out.

Gently opening the door, she saw her old leader and friend dressed in civilian clothes and reading a book. He smiled at her and shut the book and sat up in his bed. "Jubilee, what can I do for you."

"I have a question."

"Shoot." He looked at her behind his ruby-quartz glasses.

"Do you have a cousin named Buffy?" Jubilee bit her lip. She had deliberated with herself about telling Scott about his possible relative before deciding that he had a right to know.

He frowned. "I haven't heard that name in years. Where did you hear it?"

"But she is your cousin?" Jubilee asked.

He nodded. "I had two cousins. Dawn and Buffy. But I lost touch with them right after their mother died. That was before the war started." He looked at the girl sharply. "Why? Did you hear something about her? Is she okay?"

Jubilee cleared her throat. "Uh, you really should have come to the first session with us, Scott. Because, you see, the Slayer...uh, the Slayer's name is Buffy Summers."

* * *

Scott grabbed the first soldier he saw. "Do you know where the Slayer is?"

"I think she's in the mess with her friend--" the soldier answered but Scott had already run off before he finished the sentence.

He ran through the halls of the base, memories filtering up from his subconscious. After arriving at Xavier's, the Professor had searched for Scott's family. He had been unable to locate his brother Alex, but had found an uncle, living in Los Angeles. Hank Summers, married to Joyce and father to Buffy and Dawn.

He arrived at the door to the mess hall and stopped, searching the entire room for a familiar face. He finally spotted her sitting with a man her age with curly dark hair. The two of them were laughing. Scott walked across the room, weaving around tables until he stood beside the one they were at. "Buffy?" he asked uncertainly.

She looked up and her face froze. She let out a quick breath before she whispered, "Scott?" A grin spread across her features and she leapt up and enveloped him into a hug. "Scott!"

Scott hugged her back and had to blink back tears.


	2. May 2005

_**March 2003** _

_Buffy had not called the police that night. She had sheltered the renegade mutant in her house, letting him sleep in the guest room. If she had been asked, she would not have been able to tell why she had done such a thing instead of turning him in. She still did not know._

_After Magneto had regained his strength, he had taken the two of them to the White House, traveling across the continent with his power keeping the two upright in the magnetic fields. When they had landed on the White House lawn, the Secret Service had poured out of the doors, shouting and pointing guns at the pair._

_Magneto had simply held out his hand and the guns were ripped from their owners' grips to pile near his feet. After that, they were able to make their way to the oval office unhindered. Getting the president to believe their story was harder._

_"You expect me to believe that demons are trying to take over the world?" President Ross snorted in amusement. "And you're a wanted man, Magneto. What makes you think that we'll believe you?"_

_Buffy had slammed both hands down onto the desk and glared at Ross. "Because if you don't," she told the president levelly, "then all humanity is lost. We're your only hope to keep that from happening."_

_"He's a mutant! One of the traitors. He has no love for humans." Ross pointed at Buffy's companion._

_Buffy snarled as she reached across the desk and grabbed Ross by the collar. "Listen to me, you idiot! We're on your side."_

_Magneto had placed a restraining hand on the Slayer's shoulder. "It is no use. They'll listen soon enough."_

_And they had, after the first concerted vampire attack on the city of Chicago. It was the first city to fall -- the first of many._

* * *

Magneto was shaken out of his reverie by a hand on his arm. He looked over and smiled. "Charles. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Professor Charles Xavier, leader of the mutant team known as the X-men, smiled back at his old friend. "Hello, Erik." He moved his hoverchair over so that he was able to share the view out of the window with the other mutant. "So the newest graduates from the X-Academy have been sent to join the war." He sighed.

"Seems like it's been forever, hasn't it, Charles?"

"How much longer will this madness go on?" 

"I of all people am the last to tell you that. After all, I started this war, didn't I?" Erik Lensherr Magnus, known to the world as Magneto, looked out the window of the mansion and sighed.

"You could not have known that this would have happened. No one could have predicted this."

The two friends, once enemies on two opposing sides and fighting together once more, stared out over the peaceful landscape. The cultured green fields and forests presented a picture at odds with the conflict going on at other points of the country.

* * *

In Los Angeles, the souled vampire known as Angel strolled into the Hyperion Hotel where he had his headquarters. Behind the desk, a sandy-haired man wearing glasses looked up from his book. "Angel! How was the raid on Wolfram and Hart?"

The vampire grinned. "We got 'em. Every single one of those lawyers is currently on their way to a federal tribunal to be charged for treason." He threw himself onto the round orange couch in the lobby and sobered. "And not a moment too soon, too. We found some plans in their basement. They were planning to cast a city-wide spell that would have resulted in the deaths of all adult humans."

"Good lord." Wesley closed his book and leaned against the counter and breathed deeply. "Do you know how close--?"

"Tomorrow night." Angel did not dare to think how close they were. If they had waited two more days for the raid... He changed the subject. "Any word from Cordy?"

"None." Wesley sighed. "One hopes that her plea to the United Nations will not fall on deaf ears. We need all the help we can get if we're going to win this thing."

"They've ignored us before. Why would they listen this time?"

The former Watcher looked at Angel with somber eyes. "Because they have to. We must trust in Cordelia."

* * *

Cordelia Chase adjusted the skirt of her suit and looked at her companions. "Ready as I'll ever be," she told them.

Jean Grey smoothed her hair and nodded at the other woman. "How about you, Hank?"

The blue furred mutant smiled. "I must admit, I have never addressed such a prestigious group before but I think I can handle it." Dr. Henry McCoy, known to friends as Hank, and Jean had met up with Cordelia at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Their job was to try and gain international help, either economic or military.

While the three waited to be introduced, they stood off to the side. Cordelia studied the two. Jean looked normal, with red hair a shade darker than Willow Rosenberg's. Hank, however, could be picked out of any crowd as being different. He was covered from head to toe in blue fur. His outward appearance might have scared some, but Cordelia noticed the intelligence and warmth in his eyes. "So what's your story?" she asked curiously. "Why did they send you two?"

Jean smiled at the younger woman. "We're part of the X-men. Professor Xavier thought that we two would be the most eloquent in getting out point across."

Cordelia nodded and went back to nervously fiddling with her outfit.

"What about you, my dear?" Hank asked kindly. "Why would you have been sent along?"

"I'm a Seer. I fought with the Slayer while in high school and then after high school, I moved to LA and worked for Angel. He's the souled vampire," she explained. "I don't really know why the government thought I would be useful here, other than the fact that Angel recommended me."

The speaker introduced them and the three walked onto the podium. Jean was the first to talk. She walked up to the lectern and started explaining the plight of the United States.

* * *

Hank had to restrain Cordelia from leaping onto the nearest representative. "Those arrogant assholes!" she hissed. "Not their problem? Afraid of retaliation? What a load of bullshit!"

Jean grasped the other woman's arm and steered her out of the main room and into a small hallway. "I understand how you feel. But there's nothing we can do."

"So what? We go back to the States and tell the president that we failed?" Cordelia slumped back against the wall and sighed. "They're all counting on us."

Hank rested a hand on the Seer's shoulder. "Come on," he said gently. "Let's go back to the hotel and rest. We're flying back tomorrow."

Cordelia allowed the two mutants to guide her out of the United Nations headquarters. She cast one last baleful look at the building before getting into the taxi after Jean.

* * *

Buffy stretched as she surveyed the group of mutants that she had trained for the past month. They had turned out well -- better than she had expected even. She had talked with General Thompkins and Scott last night over possible postings for each one. Scott had finally managed to persuade the general that it would be better to let the X-men coordinate their movements to where they would be most useful.

The Slayer smiled at the teenagers as they boarded the jet. Today was graduation day and they were headed back east to where the X-men were based. Even she did not know where that was, only that it was somewhere in New York state.

Scott, once more in blue and yellows walked over to his cousin and hugged her. "Thanks for everything," told her. "And you be careful. I expect to have a family reunion once this war is over."

Buffy grinned. "You can count on it." She waved as he walked up the ramp and stepped back as it retracted after him.

After the Blackbird had left the hanger, she picked up the duffel bag lying at her feet and headed through the base to the entrance. Xander was already waiting for her there, a bag thrown over his shoulders as well. "Ready to get out of here?"

Buffy nodded and the two walked into the hot desert air. A jeep was waiting for them and they tossed their bags into the back. Xander started the engine as Buffy double-checked their water supply to make sure they had enough to last until they reached civilization again. They pulled out of the base and turned west, back to Sunnydale.

* * *

On the Blackbird, Scott sat in the pilot's seat and entered the coordinates for the mansion in Salem Center, New York. Once entered, the plane would take them there automatically without need for active piloting unless in an emergency.

A soft thud in the copilot's seat caused him to swivel around. "What is it, Jubilee?"

The Asian teenager shrugged and popped her gum in her mouth. "I just wanted to see if you were all right."

"Of course I am. Why shouldn't I be?"

"I dunno. Something about your long lost cousin being on the front lines of this war. Aren't you scared something's going to happen to her?"

Scott sighed and turned back to study the controls. "We all knew the risks going in," he told her quietly. "Whether we're mutant, human, or Slayer. It's war. There's always a chance that we might not make it."

"But--"

Scott cut her off. "I understand your worry, but I assure you. I'm fine. Buffy's strong. If anyone can get through this, she can." He fiddled with an instrument, pretending to be busy even though both knew the plane was already in autopilot. He stared straight ahead until he heard Jubilee get up and rejoin her friends. Only then did he allow himself to slump in his seat.

Jubilee, for all her young age, was incredibly astute in some ways. Scott thought back to the last time he had seen the California branch of his family in its entirety. Aunt Joyce was still alive and had just moved to Sunnydale after the divorce. He was visiting and helping them get settled in. He smiled as he remembered the sisterly bickering between Dawn and Buffy.

Please, God, just... just let them both survive this.

* * *

The Summers house had long been abandoned and the Scoobies had taken up residence at the military base in Sunnydale instead. Buffy and Xander were greeted at the entrance by a familiar red head that jumped into the car after the guard had let them past. The two smiled at their friend. "What's up, Willow?" Buffy asked.

"We took back Seattle. Ran those bad demons right outta town."

Xander grinned. "Well, hurrah for good news. That should be a nice morale booster. God knows we haven't had many lately."

"I think the tide's turning," Willow answered. "We got word from Angel just yesterday that they finally shut down Wolfram and Hart."

Buffy almost cheered. Instead she hugged the witch tightly. "That's great! It's about time, too."

"Yup. No more demon worshipping lawyers." 

"Any word on Faith's team?" Buffy asked.

"They reached New Orleans yesterday." Willow waved at the soldier at the edge of the vehicle lot. "They'd be planning their assault on the enemy base even as we speak."

Xander parked the vehicle and the three friends got out. "So," he spoke up. "What's new in Willow land?"

She shrugged. "Oh, same old, same old. Giles has been doing his research thing while I try and coordinate the gang."

"Good old Willow." Buffy hugged her around the shoulders as they walked. "So have the higher ups finally let you into the classified files?"

"They realized that they might as well, since I had already hacked into them." She grinned impishly. "So, you guys ready for a shower and food? I think the mess is still open."

Xander groaned. "You just said the magic words. Lead the way. I don't know if I'll ever get the taste of dust out of my mouth."


	3. August 2005

Dawn Summers gathered her notes and left the room on the military base that had been converted into a library. It had previously been an office but Giles' extensive collection of texts he had brought with him from Britain had needed a place to be stored where those requiring the information could easily access them. The former Watcher had limited the number of people who had the right to use the books however to the original Scooby gang as well as a few trusted soldiers who understood the reverence that should be shown to the tomes.

This, of course, had rankled the higher ups to no end.

But that was not Dawn's worry. She had been given the task of trying to find information about a religious sect that was slowly gaining influence in the demon community. In Spike's last report, he had found evidence that the sect was trying to oust the demon Torlin from power. Buffy believed that this could be good. Dissension in the ranks showed that Torlin's hold on power was not as strong as it once was.

Giles, however, disagreed. "I can see your reasoning," he had told Buffy last night, "but this has the potential in bringing the demon community together, even closer than it is now. They would be able to concert their efforts and would also give them some religious backing to why they are doing what they are doing."

"You mean, 'Hey, let's end the world' isn't enough?" Buffy had asked sarcastically.

Giles had frowned at the Slayer. "Look at human history. Humanity has always become its best and its worst when religion comes into play. The same is true of demons. Do not think that nothing will change if this sect gains the upper hand. It could be detrimental to us all."

Dawn hurried to the Giles' living quarters and knocked on the door.

* * *

_**April 2003** _

_Buffy and Magneto stood in front of the President again. After spending almost one month in a maximum-security prison, they had long given up hope that anyone would hear them out. Even Buffy had been unable to escape. Because of who her companion was, she was watched very carefully._

_President Ross paced the length of the Oval Office. He glanced over at the two of them. "Okay, how do we fight them?" he asked at last._

_"Sir?" Buffy responded in confusion._

_"The demons!" he stated. "How do we defeat them?"_

_Buffy had been given full autonomy within the military. Anything she wanted, she was given. Within hours, she had a cross-country network set up to gather intelligence with contacts either she or one of her friends had within the demon community. Within days, the first assault was launched to take back the city of Sunnydale. When that succeeded, the Hellmouth was made into home base and the exact location of it was closely guarded to prevent any demons from attempting to open it._

_Magneto did not fair so well. He was regarded with suspicion and was guarded at all times, forced to wear a collar that prevented the use of his mutant abilities. Eventually, the leader of the mutant group known as the X-men used his influence within Washington to have Magneto released into his custody. Professor Charles Xavier swore that he would look after Erik Lensherr Magnus and would work to rehabilitate him._

_The fact that the two were old friends was never mentioned in the dealings._

* * *

The blond vampire took a long drag from his cigarette. He was standing on top of a building in Miami and had a cell phone to his ear. He tapped his foot impatiently as he listened to the rings.

"The all knowing Willow. What's up?"

"Listen, Red," Spike muttered in his Cockney accent. "I don't think I can stay here much longer. I think my cover's about to be blown."

"All right. Get out of there then." He heard typing and some brief conversations in the background. "Okay. I can get a military transport to Tallahassee by tomorrow night. Think you can make it?"

Spike ground his cigarette underneath his boot heel. "Yeah. I'll make it if I have to travel during the day and risk becoming flame broiled." He looked around the empty rooftop suspiciously. "I found something out. Torlin's stationed somewhere in the Midwest--Topeka, Kansas, I think. I couldn't get any closer than that. If you can take him out fast and quick and then get rid of the Poraxians while you're at it, the war's as good as won."

"Thanks for the info, Spike. I'll pass the info along. You'll be careful, all right?"

"Didn't know you cared, Red," the vampire drawled. "I'll see you in two days then. Keep the blood warm for me." He snapped the phone shut and tucked it back into his black leather duster. "Sod this," he grumbled to himself. "I'm outta here." He leapt off the roof and landed silently on the road. He took off into the night towards Tallahassee.

* * *

"What is troubling you, Magnus?"

Magnus turned away from the window and smiled sadly at Xavier. "Just feeling old and useless, Charles."

"Not so old, and not so useless." Xavier settled his hoverchair down onto the ground and looked out the window. "Don't you ever get tired of looking out this window day after day?" he asked. "The view will not change, no matter how many times you see it."

Magnus shook his head. "It relaxes me." He sighed. "How goes the war, Charles?"

"My team has retaken the base at Charleston. They are currently holding it until the military can go relieve them."

"And the young ones? How fare they?"

Xavier's lips thinned. "Not so well. They are not as experienced as the senior X-men. They just finished their first solo mission today and they returned one short."

Magnus closed his eyes and tried to regain his composure. "I...I am sorry, old friend."

"So am I." Xavier reactivated his chair and made to leave the room. "I received a missive from the Sunnydale base yesterday," he offered. "The Slayer sends her greetings. She said that they're preparing a strike at Torlin for Friday. She also asked for some aid from the X-men."

Magnus turned on his heel and stared at Xavier. "I want to go," he said.

Xavier studied his friend. "You know that in my agreement with the president, I was not to let you leave the grounds."

"Charles! You must let me go." Magnus's eyes burned. "I started this forsaken war. Let me help end it."

* * *

The jet landed on the airstrip and rolled to a stop on the Sunnydale military base. Buffy waited for the ramp to lower before picking up her pack and nodding to her group. They marched up the ramp into the plane.

A figure dressed in red armor met them. Buffy raised her eyebrows in surprise. "I thought you were under lock and key."

Magnus removed his helmet, revealing his mane of silver and gray hair. He smiled at the girl. "Charles let me out early for good behavior."

She swung her pack to the ground. "I'm glad. You'll be useful on this trip."

Magnus looked over her group and frowned. "That's it? Only five people?"

Xander placed his pack next to Buffy's. "Hey, we may be small, but we're efficient."

Besides Xander, Willow and Gunn, a friend of Angel's, were with them. A soldier, William Gerring, was the final member of Buffy's handpicked group.

From the cockpit, a familiar voice called out, "Hey, can you all get strapped in so we can get moving?"

Buffy laughed. "Nice to see you too, coz."

A dark-skinned woman with startling white hair pulled back into a ponytail helped them stow away their luggage. After Buffy fastened her safety harness, she studied the mutants that Xavier had sent. Aside from Scott and Magneto, there were three women. The first, the one that had helped with their packs, introduced herself as Storm. The second had brown curly hair with a streak of white and wore a leather bomber jacket over a skintight green and yellow costume. She called herself Rogue.

The third was an enigma. Blue skinned with red hair, she did not seem to be a part of the group and Rogue carefully avoided looking at her. "I'm Mystique," she said. Buffy's eyes were drawn to the belt of skulls around her waist, at odds with her flowing white dress. She did not speak during the journey save for that simple introduction.

* * *

Faith, the second Slayer, crept through the ductwork of what was once a business building in downtown Atlanta. It had since been taken over by demons belonging to the Poraxian sect. Behind her, Spike grumbled to himself. "If I had known that Red would have sent me here instead of back to bloody Sunnyhell, I would have stayed undercover. At least I wasn't crawling through vents to take out the entire Poraxian council!"

"Hey, keep it down back there," Faith snapped. "You think I like being here? Let's just go in, do what we have to, and get out."

"And they send a bunch of bleeding children to help us!"

Faith sighed and kicked backwards, catching the vampire with the heel of her boot. "I said quiet." She took a breath and continued making her way down the vent, even though she agreed with the vampire. _I don't know what Red was on when she sent them as help. Yeah, I can see how the big blue guy might be useful, but mutants or no, they're still teenagers._

_Do not underestimate these teenagers_ , a voice said softly in her head.

Faith growled. _And another thing! I really don't like it when there's someone other than me in my mind. So get out, lady._

Jean Grey seriously freaked her out. Demons, vampires, and apocalypses she could handle. Mind readers were another thing. Faith was too used to her privacy and her secrets to feel anything but annoyance and resentment at anyone who could enter her mind with only a thought. 

Faith gritted her teeth and moved on, praying that the mutants would get their end right. She had planned a three-pronged strike. She and Spike would infiltrate the building through the ducts while two teams of Xavier's X-men stormed the building from the roof and the ground. Hopefully, the Poraxians would be too busy with the obvious attacks that they will not look for internal ones.

At least, that was what Faith was counting on.

Faintly, the sounds of fighting reached her ears and she grinned ferally. "Looks like Plan A is working," she told Spike.

He grunted. "And what's Plan B?" he asked. "Just for curiosity's sake, you know, in case everything starts going south."

"Hit hard and kill them before they kill you."

"I was afraid that was it."

* * *

Henry McCoy, known to friends as Hank or Beast, charged up the stairs. According to intelligence, the Poraxian High Council was located on the thirteenth floor. He threw any demons he encountered over the railing and kept moving upward.

Behind him, Jubilee struggled up the stairs, panting. "How many more?"

Hank glanced at the girl. "Only three more," he told her.

She groaned and kept climbing.

When the two finally reached the correct floor, they discovered that the team from the roof had beaten them there by the wall of ice that greeted them on the other side. Hank looked at Jubilee. "If you would be so kind?"

The girl flipped her sunglasses down over her eyes and raised her hands, covered in yellow gloves to match her trench coat. Fireworks flew from her fingertips and melted the ice. The two charged through into an all out fight.

Bobby Drake, the Iceman, had frozen several demons. At his side was a boy that was Jubilee's age, throwing balls of energy at the vampires that circled the room, turning them to piles of dust. At the end of the hallway was a pair of wooden doors, heavily guarded. Behind those doors were the members of the Council.

* * *

The three demons that comprised the Poraxian High Council paced nervously in their chamber. "Why did we pick a room with no window?" one wailed. It wrung its taloned hands and scratched nervously at the wall.

"The better to trap you with," Faith answered flippantly as she shot through the air vent placed high on the wall. The vent covering hit the opposite wall with a clang. The Slayer dropped to the ground and plunged a blade into the demon that had spoken. Spike followed in her footsteps. His face distorted and he grinned at the remaining two demons, revealing his fangs. "Evening, gents." He kicked one in the face while Faith took care of the second. Soon, Spike and Faith were the only ones still standing.


	4. January 2006

It was an odd group that was assembled in one of Sunnydale's many cemeteries. It was night, the only time that Angel and Spike could have gone outside without bursting into flames. Mutants, humans, and demons made up the group. 

Willow, Xander, Giles, and Spike formed a barrier around Dawn, protecting her from the reporters that had thronged to the memorial service for the fallen Slayer. Faith lingered in the back with the rest of the Los Angeles crew. The mutants that had accompanied Buffy on that fateful mission were there, standing with Charles Xavier and the rest of the X-men. Soldiers from the Sunnydale base rounded out the group.

The priest opened the Bible in his hands and looked down at the headstone before reading.

* * *

_**August 2005** _

_Torlin's headquarters in Topeka, Kansas was more heavily guarded then they had expected. Mystique impersonated one of the guards with her shape-shifting ability. She easily infiltrated the base and let the others in. The trouble had started when they had encountered a group of Torlac demons in the hallway. The fight was fast and brutal. But by the time all the demons lay dead, the rest of the base had been alerted and they had been forced to fight the rest of the way._

_The others had been ensnarled into a dogfight with a seemingly never-ending stream of demons._

_Buffy looked at Magneto in frustration. "How many of these guys are there?"_

_Magneto sighed himself. "I do not know. But if this keeps up much longer, Torlin will manage to find some way to escape."_

_Scott looked over at the two. "Go back and find some other way. We'll keep them distracted here."_

_Buffy looked at her cousin worriedly. "You sure you can handle it?"_

_"Yes. Now go!"_

_Buffy and Magneto had backtracked and managed to find an alternate route, encountering two small squads of guards that they dispatched quickly. By the time the two reached Torlin's command center, Buffy was bruised, tired, and nursing a broken wrist. Magneto had fared little better._

_Torlin was huge. He towered over Buffy and had large clawed hands. He had glared at the invaders, his eyes settling on the one familiar face. "Magnus."_

_"Torlin," Magneto had responded. He then flung out his hands and metal ripped itself from the wall and the floors before hurling towards the demon. Torlin's eyes blazed red and the metal melted into puddles before they had a chance to even touch him._

_That was the start of a brutal fight between the three of them. Buffy threw everything she had into defeating Torlin, trying to distract him so that Magneto could put a long piece of metal into him. She twirled her sword in her hands, keeping it out of Torlin's line of sight so that he could not melt it. She finally saw an opening and lunged forward, managing to cut the demon deeply in its side._

_Torlin roared in pain and grabbed the Slayer by the shoulders. He turned towards Magneto, and Buffy found herself at the receiving end of a sharp metal pole hurtling through the air. When the rest of the team finally caught up, they found Magneto slowly extracting the pole that had impaled both Buffy and Torlin. He looked up at Scott with tear-filled eyes._

_"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry."_

* * *

There had been no time to hold a proper funeral until the war was over. Thankfully, with both Torlin and the Poraxian Council gone, the demon coalition fell apart. Life was returning to normal, albeit slowly. The one change was that the population of the United States--and the world--was forced to admit to the existence of demons and magic. The time of selective ignorance was over.

Dawn entered the newly reopened Sunnydale High School and made her way to her first class. She slid into an empty desk and stared blankly off into space.

A boy sat down next to her. "Hey."

She looked over at him.

"Aren't you Dawn Summers? The Slayer's sister?"

She looked down at her hands. "Yeah," she answered.

"That must have been really cool, being in the middle of everything," he said with a grin.

Dawn shook her head. "No, not really. It wasn't cool at all. It stops being cool when your sister survives the entire war only to get killed at the end of it."

The boy stopped smiling and seemed to shrink in his seat. "Oh."

* * *

Scott sat in front of Buffy's grave. "I guess we'll never have that family gathering we talked about, huh?" He sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Buffy. I wish I could have been there. There might have been something I could have done to stopped this from happening."

"There was nothing you could have done," a quiet voice said behind him. Willow sat down on the grass next to him. "It was her time."

Scott looked at the witch. "Dawn told me that when she died before, you did some spell--?"

Willow shook her head. "Not this time." She reached into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "I found this in her stuff. I thought that you should read it too."

Scott unfolded the paper and stared at the handwriting. "She wrote this?" he asked softly.

"Yeah, it's dated right around the time she got pulled into the war."

_Dear Willow,_

_If you're reading this, then I'm dead. It feels funny writing that, since I'm still alive and all, but I wanted to ask you something._

_Don't bring me back._

_The world will go on without me. It'll still have a Slayer -- just, not me. And Willow, you can go on without me too. You're strong enough to._

_Sitting in a prison cell for a month, there's not a lot to do but think. And I sure did a lot of thinking. At first, I was angry, because I didn't do anything wrong. I wasn't harboring any fugitives, like they said I was. But that passed, eventually. And I realized something. I'm tired. I've been fighting the good fight for seven years and that's a lot longer than any other Slayer before me._

_So, please don't do any spell to bring me back from the dead. I don't think I could bear it again. Let me rest._

_Take care of Dawnie for me. Make sure she has food to eat and clothes to wear and that she brushes her teeth before going to bed and all that. I'll miss you all._

_Try not to mourn for me too long. Remember that first bit of advice I gave you that time in the Bronze, all those years ago? 'Life's short'. Well, it's still true. And life's too short for you to mope over me. I want you all to be happy._

_Love,  
Buffy_

Scott folded the letter back up and handed it to Willow. "Thanks for letting me read that."

"It's true, you know. Life is short. And Buffy doesn't want us to sit around getting depressed so we shouldn't. I've done the grief thing a lot of times, and it can suck you in. It's pretty powerful stuff. I almost ended the world once, because someone I loved died."

Scott looked at the witch in surprise. "You did?"

"Yeah. But I didn't. End the world, I mean. And let me tell you, it's not good." Willow got up and brushed off the seat of her pants. "I'll see you back at the house?"

Scott nodded slowly. "Yeah. I still need to finish packing to go back to New York."

Willow walked off, leaving Scott there with his thoughts. "You know the one thing I regret?" he asked the headstone. "You never got a chance to meet Jean." He smiled softly. "I think you would have liked her." He stood up and stretched lightly. "Rest well, Buffy. You deserve it."

He walked out of the cemetery and did not look back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "In war, there are no unwounded soldiers." --José Narosky


End file.
